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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1983)
national Battalion/Page 9 February 11, 1983 PA chief denies political motive Gorsuch embroiled in new fight United Press International |_ WASHINGTON — Already ifacing a contempt of Congress Icitation, the, chief of the En vironmental Protection Agency |s locked in a new confrontation ftvith Congress over attempts by a House subcommittee to inter- fyiew more than 30 agency em ployees. If Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he would ask the panel today to issue subpoenas to the EPA em ployees, charging Ann Gorsuch and her general counsel were impeding his subcommittee in vestigation. At a news conference Wednesday, Gorsuch said she was trying to protect the em ployees’ rights in demanding last week a lawyer and a Republi can staff member be present during interviews by subcom mittee investigators. She also in sisted transcripts of the inter views be made available. Dingell said he “cannot and will not accept” those conditions which he felt would provide a “chilling” effect on the investiga tion by inhibiting witnesses. He said the panel would glad ly allow the employees to have their own lawyers present, but objects to EPA having people in the room “to monitor the be havior of our witnesses.” Dingell’s subcommittee is in vestigating allegations that elec tion politics influenced the re lease of federal Superfund money to clean up toxic waste sites last fall and that Rita Lavel- le, a top EPA official fired Mon day, may have had a conflict of interest in her involvement in one case. “It’s pretty clear the adminis tration is deliberately stonewall ing this committee and other committees on this matter,” Dingell said. “We’ve normally been able to get information without going through all of this tomfoolery.” Dingell said the interviews with employees were necessi tated by Gorsuch’s refusal, on orders from President Reagan, to turn over EPA enforcement files on toxic waste cases to another subcommittee, for which she was voted in contempt of Congress and faces possible prosecution. Dingell’s panel has sought similar files. At a news conference Wednesday, Gorsuch rejected charges from anonymous agen cy sources that politics have in fluenced the release of Super fund money for toxic waste cleanups. “Political considerations have never driven any decision under Superfund to my knowledge, nor will they in the future,” she said. Dingell said his House sub committee is investigating alle gations that “political judgments were made” in connection with a waste site near Los Angeles, the Stringfellow Acid Pits. “We have no evidence of a pattern,” Dingell said. The allegations of political manipulations in EPA’s hand ling of the Stringfellow site stem from the delay of a $6.1 million cleanup grant. Other congressional sources said EPA employees have com plained to the House committee that agency officials placed sev eral dump sites on an “election track” last fall. Take your Valentine to Sunday Bnmch Pick anv item from tour delicious Bottomless :menu for Champagne or ^brunch. Mimosa only, $1.50 as a special treat Cherry Crepes *1 9S 505 University College Station X-cars called back because of brakes =ntot' ( United Press International DETROIT — Genera 1 M o tors orp. is recalling almost a lourth of its first generation of front-wheel drive X-cars be cause faulty rear-wheel brakes 4in lock and cause the cars to spin out of control. I GM said Wednesday that the |ecall of240,000 Chevrolet Cita tion, Pontiac Phoenix, Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Omega models was its response to an “initial determination” by the National Highway Transporta tion Safety Administration that the cars had defective brakes. 1 The recall marks the 12th i time the X-car models have been Ifecalled by GM to fix a variety of |,|roblerns. GM refused to com ment on how much the latest re- jcall will cost the company. rkdevictIH “We are taking this action to Dn the end uncertainty in the minds of -tsacroslour customers as opposed to a nshesd lengthy controversy on the sub 's that ject,” said GM spokesman ivithcliiiHarold Jackson. -cethedf' In mid-January, it was dis- generatElaosed NHTSA was investigat- :ity. |ing reports the rear brakes on <lany"t some of the front-wheel drive J'pedf autos can lock, causing the vehi- _ vs, sek kies to spin out of control, d airy* The agency later said it had determined the cars were defec- -ecenth tive. attldj Confftt Letters will be sent to owners of 208,000 autos with manual transmissions, plus owners of 32,000 early production models with automatic transmissions. [’ The recalled autos are all the . . u manual transmission x-cars built Irin^Jb' ' n t ^ e ^980 model year. - < n()iie® na fi ectec i by the recall are an 'JnyfjJhdditional 818,000 cars with automatic transmissions. E The X-cars were GM’s initial entry into the front-wheel drive market. Critics say they were rushed onto the market in an effort to compete with the Japanese before the technology had been perfected. H Although popular at intro duction, the cars have been pla gued by problems. ■ About 47,000 1980 X-cars .Were recalled two years ago for repairs of the faulty brakes. Last year, GM recalled thousands of the cars to fix a problem that could lead to f uel leakage. The automaker also said some manual transmissions were faulty and leaking frontax- le seals could cause leakage of transmission fuel. Two weeks ago, GM con firmed NHTSA had asked it ab out complaints that power steer ing on 1980 and 1981 versions of the cat's does not work when the engine is cold or the car mov ing very slow. Consumer safety advocates have recommended drivers car ry sandbags or other heavy items in the cars’ trunks to keep) the back of the car stable until the brakes can be fixed. 201 Dominlk College Station 693-6119 Drive Up Window Burger Sale! The Best. . . Tastiest Junior Danver's Burgers Ever! We Dress 'Em. . . As You Like 'Em! Free! ogy in Hous like a i! : t lumpy s to 1 noise. le nwdflj nt 2(1* it w H id lamp*] estimatf] ate as > Foods 30 Pi IAL iteak s/y art! her Pick Up A Big Sackful Of Good Eatin' Today! Please phone ahead for 10 or more sandwiches. Drive Up Window Special Burger Coupon! Burgers! Burgers! Burgers! Evei 59* HILLEL NEWS Jewish St. Center 800 Jersey, C.S. We haven't stopped action because of the "Winds of War"!. . . Thursday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. — Chinese cooking demonstration by Paula Newman, instructor Thursday, Feb. 10 at 9:30 p.m. — Intermediate Hebrew class Friday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. — Service led by Dr. Len Bierman; Oneg Shab- bat following. Saturday, Feb. 12 Services coordinated by Ben Pashoff — call Ben at 846-1075 for time. Sunday, Feb. 13 Rabbi Cahana visits 1 1 1:30 shellenberger’s For that special Valentine... V Valentine Dresses by: Kathryn Conover V Cotton Pullover Vests by: Flusser & Berke shellenberger’s ... for her 520 University East 693-0995 yl The Best. . . Tastiest Junior Danver's Burgers Ever! Coupon good at 201 Dominlk College Station only." No Limit thru February 20th Dfe NlNI. dinn^ ~e sing Butt*' f any HEALTH CAREERS OPPORTUNITIES DAY III Tuesday, Feb. 15 8:30-12 & AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTS ARAMCO SERVICES COMPANY BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SYSTEM BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES GREENLEAF HOSPITAL GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER HOSPICE OF BRAZOS COUNTY HOUSTON VA MEDICAL CENTER, CORRECTIVE THERAPY NEW AGE HOSPICE OF HOUSTON, INC. PEACE CORPS TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TEXAS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, TEXAS HEALTH CAREERS TEXAS REHABILITATION COMMISSION TEXAS STATE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL RETARDATION Room 224 MSC 1:30-4:30 TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY THE STEHLIN FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH U.T. M. D. ANDERSON HOSPITAL U.T. AT AUSTIN, SCHOOL OF NURSING U.T., HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER, PROGRAM IN OCCUPA TIONAL THERAPY. DIVISION OF ALLIED HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES U.T., HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO. SCHOOL OF NURSING U.T., PROGRAM IN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS U.T., SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES U.T., SCHOOL OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES AT HOUS TON, PROGRAM IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY U.T. AT TYLER U.T. MEDICAL BRANCH, OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES . » i! 4